We need foreign workers for boom: Henderson

Chief Minister Paul Henderson says the Northern Territory will need to employ foreign workers as demand grows for employees in the mining sector.

The Territory Government is negotiating a regional migration agreement with the Commonwealth to allow local companies to recruit workers from overseas.

Mr Henderson says oil and gas developments in the Territory are expected to take skilled workers away from other businesses, and there are not enough people to replace them.

"We would be living in la la land if we did not bring people in from overseas to backfill those jobs," he said.

"If we didn't do that, businesses would close and prices would go up for mums and dads.

Anybody looking for a mechanic, anybody looking for a plumber, anybody looking for an electrician; if we can't backfill that workforce, prices are going to skyrocket.

"That is not in anybody's interest."

Mr Henderson says the Federal Government is wise to allow foreign workers into Australia to work on mining projects.

But, he says, locals should be employed before foreign workers are taken on.

"I absolutely say very clearly, the policy position of the Territory Government is Territory workers first, and then our fellow Australians second, and only if those workforces have been exhausted should we be able to go overseas," he said.